An in-depth look at one album. Part of the Spotlight series run by Group Therapy.
October 9th, 2020, would have been John Lennon’s 80th birthday. His too-brief solo career included several fine albums, but the one for which I believe he’ll be remembered was his second, Imagine. Imagine followed on the heels of John’s best … Continue reading Album Review: John Lennon—Imagine
Jane’s Addiction – Ritual de lo Habitual (1990) This album breaks my heart now; it feels so much like a path not taken. The popular nineties narrative is that Nirvana changed everything, but for those of us who were there, … Continue reading Album Spotlight: Jane’s Addiction, Ritual de lo Habitual (1990)
Some records are terrible from the first listen. Some take several hearings to assess. Very few are classics on the first time around. Yankee Hotel Foxtrot is one of these. It’s a rock record which stands with the greats, such … Continue reading Album Review: Wilco—Yankee Hotel Foxtrot
For a review of the original album, see my post here: Album Spotlight: The Beatles—Abbey Road Abbey Road was the one Beatles album which needed no studio tinkering to improve its sound quality. It was the only album in their catalog … Continue reading Didn’t Anybody See?: Abbey Road Super Deluxe Edition Review
Yoko Ono has always incited strong opinions. Put an album of hers on for friends, and most will turn white and flee the room before a minute has gone by. Many Beatles fans hate her with a gag reflex: she … Continue reading Album Spotlight: Yoko Ono—Plastic Ono Band
If you’re related to a famous performer and have aspirations of your own, it must be extremely difficult. If you’re related to one of the most famous performers in the world–if you’re Paul McCartney’s younger brother, for instance–it must be … Continue reading Album Spotlight: Mike McGear—*McGear
Of all of George Harrison’s solo albums, I think this eponymous one from 1979 is perhaps his best. His first solo record, All Things Must Pass, is broader in scope but is encumbered by Phil Spector’s everything-and-the-kitchen-sink production and a … Continue reading Album Spotlight: George Harrison—George Harrison
These days, No Limit Records largely exists as a curiosity, largely kept alive in the memory thanks to their record covers made by Pen & Pixel. Those covers are the deserving stuff of derision. Gaudy, ugly, over-designed and all unintentionally … Continue reading Album Spotlight: Silkk the Shocker – Charge It 2 da Game
In 1994, Apple Records and the BBC combined forces to unlock the gates of unreleased recordings being issued officially with the two CD release of Live at the BBC. These songs, recorded from 1963 to 1965, owe their existence to … Continue reading Album Spotlight: The Beatles—The BBC Recordings
Although EMI and Capitol wanted to release a live recording of the Beatles for years, many obstacles prevented it. At the time the band was touring, the equipment wasn’t advanced enough to overcome the noise levels created by the screams … Continue reading Album Spotlight: The Beatles—[Live] At The Hollywood Bowl
Once an artist hits it big, it’s only a matter of time before compilation albums of her or his work begin to be released: Greatest Hits, Best Of and the like. Since the Beatles were one of the most successful … Continue reading Album Spotlight: The Beatles—Compilations
Compared to the first two albums in the series, Anthology 3 came off as an afterthought, a somewhat limp finish to the collection. It lacked the brand-new “Beatles” song which opened the first two records, and while EMI promised … Continue reading Album Spotlight: The Beatles—Anthology 3
Almost fifty years ago exactly, The Beatles’ tenth album and their only double album of new material was released, five years to the day after With the Beatles. When you think about what a progression their music had undergone in … Continue reading Album Spotlight: The Beatles—The Beatles (The White Album)
If the Anthology 1 album was of historic importance, Anthology 2 is far more interesting musically. However, it’s also padded quite a bit. There are two tracks that definitely don’t belong here, and a number of others are pretty but … Continue reading Album Spotlight: The Beatles—Anthology 2
The Beatles Anthology was years in the making, dating back to shortly after the group broke up. Their friend and roadie, Neil Aspinall, began compiling footage of the band for a documentary to be entitled The Long and Winding Road. … Continue reading Album Spotlight: The Beatles—Anthology 1
Paul McCartney has released so many solo albums (thirty at least, including Wings but excluding his classical efforts) that I’ve given up trying to rank them. Egypt Station, his latest, is probably not in the top five, but it is … Continue reading Album Spotlight: Paul McCartney—Egypt Station
When the Beatles’ album catalog was released in 1987 for the first time on CD, EMI realized that there were a number of songs that had never been included on albums which would become otherwise unavailable. So they put together … Continue reading Album Spotlight: The Beatles—Past Masters
Abbey Road, one of the Beatles’ best records, was also their final recording, although Let It Be would be released the following year. Apparently, the group had decided, consciously or subconsciously, to make an album which would erase the bad … Continue reading Album Spotlight: The Beatles—Abbey Road
Like Magical Mystery Tour, Let It Be can’t be discussed without an extensive knowledge of what the Beatles intended for the record. Following is a brief rundown, but there’s plenty more to learn if you take the time. The Beatles … Continue reading Album Spotlight: The Beatles—Let It Be
If Magical Mystery Tour was the double EP set that should have been (and soon was) an album, then Yellow Submarine, the Beatles’ eleventh record, was the album that should have been an EP. With only four new songs and … Continue reading Album Spotlight: The Beatles—Yellow Submarine
Many Beatles albums exist outside of the context of the events that were happening in real life at the time of the work’s recording. Magical Mystery Tour, the group’s ninth album, is not one of those records. In order … Continue reading Album Spotlight: The Beatles—Magical Mystery Tour
